AOS Interview Questions! (Marriage Based)

[Jun2580 27]

1 hour ago, TNJ17 said:

You’re not required to send marriage evidence with aos package. This is why there is a ROC after 2 years. A recently married couple won’t have much in terms of marriage evidence. Most AOS interviews are just a formality and only last a couple of questions and are not separated. They separate couple and bombard them with questions like yours when they suspect fraud. None of the reasons you have stated here are cause for fraud suspicion. They definitely saw something on your file that made them suspicious about your relationship. Most people who get lawyers for this late into the process have complicated cases. You say you have no complications so why did you use a lawyer if you don’t mind us asking? The answer to your scruitinity may be in why you used a lawyer. I feel like we haven’t gotten the full story here. 

Okay, first let me tell you guys that I worry a lot, and this is my nature. If you just visit my profile, you will understand that I worry about everything, simply because I ask so many small questions on here.

I don't want to miss any single thing, and it also comes from my OCD. Even though I REALLY do not have any immigration issue in the past (except that I got sent to secondary inspection at an airport when I was on F-1 because the signature on my I-20 had expired. I immediately sent in the required document and I got a newly approved I-20), no criminal or divorce history whatsoever, I did not want to make a mistake on AOS packet. My OCD is worse when it comes to an official document that can affect my immigration and life. Therefore, I wanted a "safer" way to prepare all the AOS documents, and so I hired a lawyer. 

 

And I believe there is nothing wrong with hiring an immigration lawyer even if you have no problems in the past, and a lot of my friends did the same. (They had no criminal history, divorce record, or immigration violation, and they still hired a lawyer JUST IN CASE).

[Jun2580 27]

If sending marriage-evidence documents at the time of application is NOT required, then I don't know why I had to go through this. If it was required, and I didn't send them with the application, that would have made more sense.

 

Other that what I mentioned earlier, I can think of another possible reasons that I had to go through this separate, long interview, and I want you all's opinion.

 

My frequent visit to the US in the past might have affected my case?

 

 In 2012 summer, I came to the US on J-1 visa for a year. I studied abroad in the US, while I was a student back in my home country's university. I did not get the 2-year rule.

Then, after I left in 2013 summer due to the completion of my J-1 program, I came back to the US a month later and stayed on ESTA for about 2 months at my friend's house. I did this because I started wanting to study more in the US after the J-1 program, and I wanted to find out which school would be good for me. I visited multiple universities and colleges in person, to make a decision on which school I should apply to for my 2nd bachelor's degree.  But, I guess the reason doesn't really matter, in the eye of immigration. 

Then, I graduated from my home country's university about 6 months after I left the US after the 2 months stay. Then I came back to the US again at the beginning of 2014 to start my 2nd degree's program. Then I graduated with the second Bachelor's degree, and then I have been working on OPT and STEM OPT.

 

The overall flow is like this. 

2012 summer - 2013 summer: 1-year stay on J-1

2013 summer (one month after leaving the US on J-1): 2-month stay on ESTA

2014 beginning: got accepted by a school and came back on F-1 

2016 fall: graduated and started looking for a job for OPT

2017: started working on OPT

2018 spring: started working on STEM OPT, during which I applied for AOS with my spouse

 

While I was a student between 2014-2016, I visited my home country multiple times, and other than that I-20's signature being expired, the immigration officer easily let me in when I showed my visa and I-20s, so I never thought about this until now. 

 

Do you think this continuous stay in the US might have been the cause? This is not a violation, but I am now thinking this is a "RED FLAG"

Edited October 28, 2018 by Jun2580

[Scandi 3,970]

Simply explained: You send proof of bonafide marriage with the i-130 (the petition), not the i-485 (AOS). We're just assuming that you and your spouse sent in BOTH i-130 and i-485 at the same time, meaning the package should've had proof in it.

[Jun2580 27]

15 minutes ago, Scandi said:

Simply explained: You send proof of bonafide marriage with the i-130 (the petition), not the i-485 (AOS). We're just assuming that you and your spouse sent in BOTH i-130 and i-485 at the same time, meaning the package should've had proof in it.

And my lawyer insisted I should bring the bona fide proof at the interview... Sigh 

[NovaDC 270]

On 10/27/2018 at 12:47 AM, Jun2580 said:

How long did it take before the USCIS status got updated?

One day for me.

[Visitor User 222]

1 hour ago, Jun2580 said:

And my lawyer insisted I should bring the bona fide proof at the interview... Sigh 

Was your lawyer present at the interview?

[Jun2580 27]

1 minute ago, Visitor User said:

Was your lawyer present at the interview?

No. My lawyer said it is an extra fee to take him to the interview, but since (1)I am not from a red-flag country, (2)I have no immigration violation in the past, (3)I have no criminal/arrest history, and (4)We have a lot of proof for bona fide marriage, he said I should be alright without him, and he said it is not worth a few hundred dollars.

[Visitor User 222]

26 minutes ago, Jun2580 said:

No. My lawyer said it is an extra fee to take him to the interview, but since (1)I am not from a red-flag country, (2)I have no immigration violation in the past, (3)I have no criminal/arrest history, and (4)We have a lot of proof for bona fide marriage, he said I should be alright without him, and he said it is not worth a few hundred dollars.

Really? Extra fee? Never heard of this from any lawyer before. Not my lawyer. How much is the charge anyway?

[ColoradoBeauty 79]

32 minutes ago, Visitor User said:

Really? Extra fee? Never heard of this from any lawyer before. Not my lawyer.

My immigration lawyer, who happens to be a friend, quoted me $1000. 

I consulted with my company's immigration lawyer and they quoted me $500

Edited October 28, 2018 by ColoradoBeauty

[Jun2580 27]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBeauty said:

My immigration lawyer, who happens to be a friend, quoted me $1000. 

Actually the same. I browsed around to find an affordable lawyer. And most I could find quoted me $3000+, which I thought was stupid. 

Then I found one for $1000, so I decided to go with him. And his law office had many good reviews on Google and Facebook, with lots of comments, so I had no doubt about him. But then this all happened. 

[Jun2580 27]

35 minutes ago, Visitor User said:

Really? Extra fee? Never heard of this from any lawyer before. Not my lawyer. How much is the charge anyway?

Yeah he said the regular lawyer fee to prepare the AOS documents was $1000 and then if I want to take him to the interview that's an extra charge of $250. 

[ColoradoBeauty 79]

4 minutes ago, Jun2580 said:

Then I found one for $1000, so I decided to go with him. 

Unfortunately, the $1000 my friend quoted me is only to attend the interview. So, it's on top of the $3000 for doing the whole application (supposedly they normally charge $4500). I also thought it was stupid and  happened to know others who filed themselves successfully,  so I didn't hire any lawyer. 

 

You definitely found a really affordable lawyer! 

[geowrian 22,335]

I paid an $0 (except fees).

Our AOS Interview last week was 5 minutes, of which 1 minute was talking about the IO's kid's drawings on the wall and another minute having them confirm the updated address to mail the green card to. Card was shipped via USPS 2 days ago.

We sent a good portion of evidence with the I-485.

YMMV

[Visitor User 222]

41 minutes ago, ColoradoBeauty said:

My immigration lawyer, who happens to be a friend, quoted me $1000. 

I consulted with my company's immigration lawyer and they quoted me $500

Higher chance of approval with lawyer present?

[Visitor User 222]

14 minutes ago, geowrian said:

I paid an $0 (except fees).

Our AOS Interview last week was 5 minutes, of which 1 minute was talking about the IO's kid's drawings on the wall and another minute having them confirm the updated address to mail the green card to. Card was shipped via USPS 2 days ago.

We sent a good portion of evidence with the I-485.

YMMV

So they already had decided that they were  going to approve the app? The interview was just for the formality and for the process.